1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improvement of the configuration of a connector for use with a metallic pipe or resinous tube (hereinafter simply referred to as a pipe) of comparatively small diameter, not exceeding 20 m/m, which generally is installed in cars, machines, apparatus and the like and used as a supply line of oil, air, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional connector of the foregoing type, as shown in FIG. 6, comprises a connector body 21 which has a channel 24, a stepped small-diameter chamber 22, and a stepped large-diameter chamber 23 formed axially thereinside and communicated with each other, and a socket body 25 which has obliquely-projecting pawl walls 26 and 26'. A rear peripheral wall portion of the connector body 21 defines a support wall 23' on which a rear end peripheral wall portion 25' of the socket body 25 is seated from inside, with the pawl walls 26 and 26' being fitted into elongate engage holes 27 and 27' formed in the peripheral wall around the large-diameter chamber 23 of the connector body 21. In the assembled state, the pawl walls 26 and 26' resiliently lock an expanded wall portion of a pipe P in the large-diameter chamber 23.
In the foregoing conventional connector, the pawl walls 26 and 26' are made of resilient material, so that they can snap or deform in the radial direction to a certain extent between the position where the pipe P is not assembled (where the pawl walls extend obliquely upward/downward freely) and the position where they engage with the outer periphery of the pipe P to deform a little (as shown in FIG. 6). According to the prior art, however, the rear peripheral wall portion 25' of the socket body 25 is seated on the inner peripheral surface of the support wall 23' of the connector body 21; therefore, the support wall 23' must be enlarged radially outward at least by a size corresponding to the thickness of the socket body 25 in consideration of the amount of snapping. Further, because of the foregoing configuration, when assembling the socket body 25 to the support wall 23', the pawl walls 26 and 26' of the socket body 25 must be radially compressed so as to pass through inside the support wall 23' from rear; thus, the conventional connector must be made large in diameter as a whole. Therefore, when the connector is to be used and assembled in a narrow space, it sometimes interferes with other parts to become out of order. Further, the pawl walls 26 and 26' of the socket body 25 are made long as the diameter of the connector increases; as a result, their strength of resilient locking exerted at the expanded wall portion of the pipe P becomes weak, and because of above cause plus fatigue, it is impossible to maintain a reliable connected condition over a long period of time.